Anti-car folks oppose CityPlace today

A picture of what Levy and Radulovich want to preserve

The Planning Commission approved the EIR for CityPlace---a shopping mall to be constructed on the most blighted block of Market Street---but the anti-car Tom Radulovich has appealed the approval to the Board of Supervisors, which will hear his appeal this afternoon. Radulovich, of the anti-car group, Liveable City, opposes the project because it includes 188 parking spaces for the mall's customers.

Radulovich will be represented by Arthur D. Levy, best known in District 5 for helping to preserve the derelict Harding Theater property from being turned into housing units and retail space. Thanks to Levy, Supervisor Mirkarimi, and David Tornheim, the owner of the Harding property is now unable to either develop the property or to sell it, and it continues to blight the middle of the Divisadero corridor. Levy is so proud of "saving" the Harding, he provides a link to a picture of the eyesore on his website! Levy will post the picture above on his site if the appeal is successful.

One of Radulovich's recent victories includes preventing the Port Authority from providing more parking spaces near the successful Ferry Plaza.

Today's vote by the supervisors on Radulovich's appeal will reveal how far the city is willing to allow the anti-car movement to determine city policy, not just on traffic but on development. If the city is going to reject a company that's proposing a major development for the worst block on Market Street, we'll know that the inmates are truly running the asylum.

Postscript: I should have known that the Bicycle Coalition also opposes the CityPlace development. Andy Thornley contributes a lie to to the discussion: “We do not want to stop the project. We want to improve environmental analysis in this city.”